June Hymn
by trashweasel
Summary: Judy has taken the week off to burrow-sit while her folks are out of town, and Nick is over for the weekend to help out and goof off. While there, he gets a taste of a life he'd never dreamed possible for him.
1. Chapter 1

Nick barely registered that the train had stopped. The entire trip from the city to Bunnyburrow had been a blur. As soon as the train left the city limits Nick had zoned out, leaning his forehead against the window and trying not to think about the weekend ahead. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been this far from home. He lifted his head as the other passengers started to mill about. Shuffling out of the row, he grabbed his bag from the overhead compartment. Why couldn't he just play this cool? He could do cool. He exhaled, pasted on a smirk, and stepped out of the train car. He slung his bag over his shoulder and jumped as the goat behind him let out an angry bleat.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

He scrambled to free the strap from the goat's horns as they stumbled onto the platform. A high, unmistakable laugh let him know that no, he would not hear the end of this anytime soon. He smiled in spite of himself, straightening his tie as the goat stamped off in a huff. From Nick's perspective, the crowd on the platform was an ocean of rabbit ears. One set of ears was talking to him.

"Nick! Over here!"

The pushy ears bobbed as his partner tried to wave him down. His smile widened for a fraction of a second. He reigned it back in. Be cool. This should be effortless for him. For God's sake, he was with her just about every day of the week. When they weren't working together, she was usually dragging him to a concert or to try out some new restaurant. But he knew there was a difference. That stuff was nothing. But this? This felt like a Thing.

Judy finally wormed her way to the front of the crowd. "Nick!" She was beaming. "I'm so glad you came." He nearly lost control of his bag again as she hugged him.

"Missing me already, Carrots? It's only been a week."

"And let me guess, it was your most boring week on the force."

"I was in shambles, Carrots. A wreck of a man."

She laughed. "Is that right?"

"They were sweeping pieces of me up off the break room floor."

"Oookay, okay."

They made their way to the beat up old thing Judy insisted was a truck. Nick finally registered the countryside around him. He sucked in a deep breath and shut his eyes for a second. The late spring sun was still on the comfortable side of warm. Even in a train station parking lot, the air smelled cleaner here than in the city.

"So, how's the Hopps legion these days?" said Nick as he tossed his bag in the back.

"Hah, let's just say that mom and dad have earned that vacation."

"You mean to tell me that the ZPD's fearless Officer Hopps can't handle a few kids for a week?"

"A few _hundred._ "

"Well, you're very welcome for the backup."

"Backup? What I need is an organized crime task force."

He laughed, and for a moment Nick's anxieties quieted down. Sure, this wasn't his turf, but it was just him and Carrots hanging out like usual. She asked about his boring week, and he made fun of her attempts to keep the rabbit horde in line. They battled over the radio dial. Judy swatted away his attempts to honk the horn at a pair of bushy-faced Llamish farmers that insisted on riding their tandem bike in the middle of the lane. Eventually, Judy turned down a long dirt road. It dead-ended at the burrow.

"So this is Chez Carrots," said Nick, stepping out of the car and re-shouldering his bag. The burrow looked like half a house being swallowed by a large, grassy hill.

"Yep! This is home," said Judy, her hands on her hips as she admired the view beside him. "Well, the part you can see from above ground, at least."

"Personally, I'd like to see the part with a rocking chair and a tall glass of sweet tea."

"Oooh, _that_ part. See, that part of the burrow is just down the hall, past the uncooked dinner, buried under the unfinished laundry."

She grinned at him as she pushed open the burrow door. "But if you work quick, I'm sure you can find it by sundown."

"Ah, the legendary hospitality of the carrot farmer."

He followed her in. Overstuffed chairs and couches crowded the brightly-lit living room. At least a fifty hats and jackets hung on an coatrack carved from an entire tree trunk. By fox standards, the room was enormous, but the sheer quantity of stuff in the room almost made Nick claustrophobic.

"I've gotta say, you bunnies have a interesting sense of interior design."

"Hey now, window seats are prime real estate in a burrow, what with most of it being underground and all. Come on, I'll show you your room."

A dozen tiny rabbit heads poked up from books, naps and video games to get a look at the visitor.

"Oh, uh, hi. Nicholas Wilde." He gave them a small wave. They stared. "So, about that room…", he said, not taking his eyes off the crowd that was gathering before him. He looked up to see Judy halfway down the hall. "Carrots!" Something grabbed his tail. "Hey, wait up!" He jogged after her, dodging around a wrestling pair of brothers and stepping over a tea party to catch up.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," he said, stopping to catching his breath beside her at the end of the long hallway.

"You poor thing." She smirked at him.

He looked up and promptly forgot whatever smart remark he was about to say. At the end of the hallway, the burrow sprawled out before him. Elevators and massive staircases carried bunnies up and down the levels of the complex, and countless hallways fed into the central hub in which they currently stood. Nick caught a faint whiff of earth. They were definitely under the hill at this point.

"Here. You might wanna hang onto this." She slapped him in the chest with a rectangular fan of paper.

"Ah yes, the resort brochure."

"The _map._ "

He flapped it open like he was reading the Sunday news.

Judy ducked under his arm, annotating the map and circling areas with a pen. "Blue and pink areas are dorms, bathrooms are green, emergency exits are red."

"Cozy."

"And we are…here!" said Judy, drawing a little star at the end of one hallway.

"Am I bunking with the troops, then?"

"As much fun as that would be, you're in one of the guest rooms. Here." She circled "G6" in the directory. "Follow me!"

She took off and Nick followed, glancing down at the map every so often in a futile attempt to connect the numbers and letters to useful landmarks. He discarded this idea after the second time he nearly collided with one of the scores of Judy's siblings that milled about the burrow. Every so often a bunny would stop and gawk at the fox, but the burrow was so big and busy that they could make their way mostly ignored.

He followed Judy through a seemingly endless set of twisting hallways. Eventually, the earthy smell Nick had noticed was beginning to fade. The din of the central burrow had died down as well.

"We're close to the surface, right?"

"Look at you, getting your bearings already. We'll make a carrot farmer out of you yet, Mr. Wilde."

She threw open a door and stepped inside. "Welcome home! At least, it's home for the weekend."

The room was small, but comfortably furnished. Nick could feel her eyes on him as he surveyed his living quarters. He tossed his bag on the bed. "I gotta say, Carrots, these are some nice digs," he said, sinking into an armchair clearly designed for a mammal larger than a rabbit. "And hey, my own window! I hear these things are prime real estate in a burrow."

She fidgeted with a lamp, not seeming to hear him. "I know it's not much for someone your size. Mom made my dad furnish a few rooms for larger mammals." She smiled, placing her hand on a nightstand that almost came up to her chin. "She's trying to get him to be more...hospitable."

Nick blinked, then smiled back. "Well, I love it."

Judy's smile widened. "Well, don't get too comfortable. Get your stuff squared away and meet me in the laundry room!" She started out the door. "And you might want to lose the tie for now."

Nick unzipped his bag as she stepped out. "Aw shucks, looks like I forgot my farm chore overalls."

"Overalls will be provided!" she called from down the hall.

Nick chuckled to himself as he shut the door. He gave the room another look. The furniture didn't exactly look new, but it was in good shape, like someone had only just now broken it in the way they liked it. Must be second hand. The quilt draped over the bed was definitely hand made. He sat, the bed sinking under his weight, then sighed and flopped back. Everything was going okay so far. So why did he still feel so out of sorts?

After a minute of staring at the ceiling, he sat up and drew the curtains back. From his window, he could see a group of at least thirty young bunnies furiously weeding a recently sown patch of earth. Nick had known that Judy's family was large, but he had severely underestimated the scale of the family business. The burrow was basically a small town. Did they celebrate individual birthdays? What was Christmas like? Nick was an only child. He honestly couldn't even remember his last conversation with his mom.

Nick snapped back to attention. Carrots was waiting for him. He tugged off his tie and tossed it over the back of the chair. He slipped into a pair of jeans and the beat up plaid shirt that had survived his grunge phase. He looked himself over once in the mirror, grabbed the map, and started down the hall. The laundry room was two floors down and on the other side of the burrow. It should be simple enough to find.

He managed to find the East Wing elevator bay without too much difficulty. Three bunnies carrying baseball gear were already staring at the doors expectantly. He fiddled with his phone, trying to be inconspicuous. He could feel one of the bunnies trying to catch his eye. The oldest of the three, by the looks of it. Nick suddenly found his phone especially fascinating.

"Hey! You're that fox! " the bunny said almost giddily.

Nick looked up at the grinning rabbit. "Oh, yeah," said Nick. He tried to sound like he had just noticed they were there. A second passed. He should introduce himself. "Nick Wilde." He stuck out his hand.

"Anthony," said the teen. He looked at Nick's hand, then shook it.

Why was he shaking hands with a teenage? This isn't how you introduce yourself to teenagers. Nick discarded the thought and put on an easy-going smile.

"So you're Judy's boyfriend?" blurted out Anthony.

"What? No, I'm her, uh, partner."

"Our Uncle Jim has a partner," said the youngest bunny from behind Anthony.

Anthony laughed as he saw the look on Nick's face. "No, I think he means he's also a cop."

"What? Yes. Cop. I am also a cop." This was the slowest elevator in the world.

They were still shaking when the elevator dinged. He quickly let go of his hand as the doors slid open. Bunnies filled the already cramped area. The three boys slipped on as Nick scanned over the heads for a spot to stand. The doors started to close. Nick slid his arm in between them, and they re-opened. He started to squeeze in, painfully aware that every pair of eyes was on him.

"Sorry. Excuse me". The doors began to shut again, then reopened as his tail crossed the sensor. "You know what, I'll get the next one."

He turned and walked away from the elevator as quickly as he could, making a point to not look back at the sea of rabbits watching his retreat. He would not be waiting for the next one.


	2. Chapter 2

Ten minutes and two flights of stairs later, Nick found the laundry room. It was about the size of the laundromat near his apartment. Judy was piling wet linens into a basket on the far side of the room.

"Quite a production you've got here, Carrots," said Nick from the entrance.

He almost had to shout to be heard above the whirring washing machines. She didn't turn around. Moving closer, Nick spotted the pair of headphones in her ears. He allowed himself a villainous smile. Without breaking stride, he snatched up a thick, wet blanket. Judy was bobbing absent-mindedly to her music as Nick crept up behind her. She never stood a chance. With a flourish, he flapped it out and sent it flying. It enveloped her with a satisfying _thwap._ She shrieked, pawed ineffectually at the heavy, sodden mass, then tripped. Nick doubled over with laughter. Judy finally clawed her way to the edge of the blanket.

"YOU!"

She was glaring daggers, but Nick could tell she was fighting a smile.

"Me!" said Nick with mock indignation.

She tossed the blanket aside and punched him firmly on the shoulder, laughing in spite of herself.

"Easy there!" Nick rubbed his shoulder, still reigning in his laughter.

Judy pulled the headphones from her ears and tucked them into her pocket.

"Did you have any trouble finding the place?"

"Of course not. My sense of direction is flawless." Nick had asked for directions twice.

"Good. That means we just have to work on your sense of humor. Now make yourself useful."

Judy hefted a basket of soggy laundry and thrust it into his arms. She picked up her own basket and pushed past him, grabbing her floppy sun hat on the way out.

"Come on! Field trip time!"

Nick followed dutifully, stepping around a spilled pile of linens. Other bunnies had started to filter in with their own baskets, chattering idly amongst themselves as they carried out their daily chores. Just down the hall from the laundry room was a stairwell that ended at a door. Judy shoved the door with her basket and propped it open for Nick. He blinked, squinting as his eyes took their time adjusting to the bright sunlight. He regretted leaving his sunglasses in his room. The Hopps farm stretched out before him, but this field wasn't farmland. He could just make out greyish blobs and flapping waves of color among the splotches.

"Here." Judy plopped her hat down on the squinting fox's head. "You look like you need this more than me."

"Hey!" The wide brim fell over his eyes. She laughed, then fixed it for him.

"Thanks," he said. The shapes were coming into focus. Several bunnies on ladders were stringing up sheets and fabrics of all sorts from rows of clotheslines.

"It looks better on you anyway," she joked.

The comment hung in the air for a second until Nick cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Now Carrots, far be it from me to question your family's methods, but I couldn't help but notice that we passed a row of perfectly good driers on way out."

Judy smiled knowingly.

"Mr. Wilde, I invite you direct any comments or complaints to our Secretary of Energy."

"Secretary?"

At that, a skinny, bespectacled bunny turned and perked up her ears. She was perched atop a ladder being steadied by two of her younger brothers as she attached the last clothespin to a towel. She scrambled down the ladder, making it rock precariously as she made her way toward the pair.

"Oh, Judy!" she called out as stumbled down the last three steps. She steadied her glasses and strode up to them. Nick peered down at her over his basket. The bunny looked like she was in her mid-teens, but Nick was never good at guessing a bunny's age. Her fur was as mussed as the old farm work clothes she wore.

"Nick, meet Olivia."

"Madame Secretary." Nick gave a small bow

.

"Olivia." The young bunny extended her hand, a serious expression on her face.

"Uh, Nick Wilde." He shifted the basket to one arm and shook her hand. Are you supposed to shake hands with teenagers after all?

"Olivia here is gonna be an engineer." Judy slung an arm around her little sister. "She has some big ideas for the burrow."

"That right?"

Olivia scrutinized Nick through her thick lenses. "Do you know how much energy is wasted drying all the laundry this family produces?"

Nick opened his mouth to answer, but she continued.

"A lot. I wrote a report on it for school. By drying larger items on lines, we've cut daily non-agricultural energy waste by an estimated six percent."

"That's...actually pretty impressive," said Nick, eyebrows raised.

"It's step one of eight of my energy waste elimination program for the burrow. I'm going to Zootopia University to be an environmental engineer with a focus in sustainable energy," she said matter-of-factly.

"Zoo U., eh? That's a tough school," said Nick. "Then again, I guess not can be as clever as a Hopps."

Olivia looked at her sister. "Is he being condescending? I can't tell if he's being condescending."

"He's always being condescending, Liv," said Judy, holding back a laugh.

Nick was mock-aghast. "You ladies wound me. Really, school was never my strong suit."

The young bunny studied him for a second.

"Hey, why don't you get back to helping your brothers. Nick and I are gonna take care of these baskets," said Judy, nudging her sister along.

"Right. Pleased to meet you, Nick Wilde," said Olivia, turning unceremoniously to go.

Nick started to respond, but she was already walking away.

"Charming kid," he said, shifting the basket back to both hands.

"She's never been much of a conversationalist." Judy started off toward an empty line. "She barely talked at all until high school. We didn't even really become close until I signed up for the academy." She set her basket down next to an unoccupied ladder and started up it. "Keep it steady for me, okay?" she called down. "And start passing stuff up."

Nick wadded a sheet into a ball. "Catch!"

He lobbed the blanket up to her, and she snatched it out of the air. She fished a clothespin out of her pocket and went to work.

"It must sound weird, being antisocial in a home like this," said Judy.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah."

"No, I think I get it. Crowds can be lonely places." He tossed up another sheet.

"Speaking from experience?"

"Speaking as a sneaky fox that grew up in a big city."

"A _formerly_ sneaky fox," she said, glancing back down at him with a smirk.

"Ah, true. I'm reformed," he said looking up at her, hat held to his breast theatrically.

"Reformed," she said flatly.

"You reformed me. You're a reformer. My form is new."

"Ha! Okay, okay."

Judy hopped down. They shuffled the ladder over a few feet, then got back to work.

"So, be honest. Is this totally weird for you?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the tablecloth she was pinning.

"What? No. Wait, is what weird?" His felt his face heat up.

"Being around my family. All these kids. You're an only child, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. I mean, not really. Okay, yes, I'm an only child. No, it's not that weird. Like, I'm not the best with kids, sure, but it's fine." He sighed impatiently at his own rambling. "It's not that I don't _like_ kids or anything. Sometimes I just feel, you know, what do you say to them? 'Hey, you're into blocks? I used to be into blocks. Not much of my thing now, but enjoy 'em while you can.'" Why was he talking so fast?

Judy laughed. "No, I think I understand. Don't worry."

Nick sighed. Change the subject, keep it cool.

"So, an engineer, huh? Is that your doing?" He put on a casual smile and leaned on the first step of the the ladder. "Tempting your sister away from a quiet life of carrot farming?"

"Heh, I don't know if I'd go that far." She paused. "I mean, sure, I'm the first to move away. But it feels weird to think about inspiring my siblings to leave the burrow."

"Ah, yes. Hero cop and the ZPD's first rabbit officer. What about that could possibly be misconstrued as inspiring?" said Nick, his voice dripping with congenial sarcasm.

"Oh, you know what I mean." Judy adjusted the laundry absent-mindedly. "I love my parents, but it's never exactly been a secret that they hope we'll never leave Bunnyburrow. Move out, get married, and start families, sure. But actually leave?" She let the thought hang in the air.

Nick's had kept his eyes on her intently as he listened. "Carrots, you should be proud of your sister. She's her own bunny, like you." He paused. " And I think it's time you started being proud of yourself, too."

He couldn't see her face, but he could her shoulders rise and fall as she sighed.

"Thanks." She turned to smile down at him. " And Nick, I have to tell you something."

He swallowed, his mouth suddenly a desert.

"That hat actually looks ridiculous on you."

He stared at her a beat, then cracked up.

"Hey!" she laughed, ducking as the hat sailed past her. She snatched up a freshly hung towel and returned fire.

"Okay, okay, truce!" Nick was grinning like an idiot.

Judy hopped down, her smile as wide as his. "Come, let's knock the rest of this laundry out."

She picked up her basket and trotted down the line. Nick allowed himself a contented sigh, looking out again over the fields of the Hopps farm. He shouldered the ladder and followed.


	3. Chapter 3

After a short break, Judy conscripted him into gardening. He let her carry on about how to properly uproot a weed and how to tell when basil is ready for harvest with an unironic amiability. He didn't even want to come up with a sarcastic retort. She enjoyed teaching, and for once he enjoyed just listening. It wasn't until he noticed the growing shadow of his floppy hat that he realized the sun was setting. His audible stomach was his second clue. He had mostly poked aimlessly at the complementary train lunch, and now he was feeling it. Judy snatched the hat off his head and plopped it on her own.

"Not bad for your first day," she said, dusting herself off.

"So, did I get the job?" He stood and stretched his back.

"Hm, I don't know. Your resume needs some work."

"Ah, but I'm in with the boss' daughter," he said with a smile.

"Is that right?"

"Olivia is writing me a letter of recommendation as we speak."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get washed up before dinner."

Freshly showered, Nick changed into a clean outfit and reached for his tie. On second thought, no tie. He did a once-over in the mirror, then made his way down the hall. Checking his phone, he saw he had some time to spare and slowed his pace. He was never one for showing up early. On a whim, he turned down one of the winding offshoots he passed. It dead-ended in a cozy sitting room. Nick lowered himself into a wingback chair and sighed, eyes shut, relieved to find a quiet spot in the burrow. Well, mostly quiet. His eyes snapped open as he heard movement in the far corner of the room. A young bunny was scrutinizing a tower of blocks almost as tall as himself, a serious expression on his face. He noticed the fox just as Nick noticed him. They made eye contact for an uncomfortable second. Finally, the bunny wordlessly held a block out to Nick.

"Oh, uh, okay." Nick rose and accepted the block. The bunny turned his attention back to the tower, placing another block on top. The tower swayed precariously until Nick set his block on the opposite side. "Easy there." It stabilized. "If you want to go this tall, you need to widen out the base." Nick sat and started stacking blocks around the bottom, and after a moment, the bunny joined him. "Yeah, that's the idea." They continued working wordlessly. Nick finally broke the silence. "You know, I used to do this all the time when I was your age." He turned another wooden block in his hand, then placed it. "Your sister would probably think this is really funny," he said, chuckling to himself.

"You mean his aunt," said a voice from the entrance of the room. The tower swayed again as Nick jumped, his bristled tail almost swiping it over. "You must be Judy's fox."

Nick turned to see a bunny who looked about Judy's age standing in the doorway. She finished a text and tucked her phone away. "Oh, uh, is he yours?"

"Yeah, that's my Eli."

"I didn't know Judy had a nephew," said Nick, looking back at the kid.

"Oh, she's got a few. Nieces too."

"Oh." A moment passed. "I'm Nick, by the way."

"Cindy. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you, you know."

Nick's ears perked up. "That right?" he said, trying and failing to sound nonchalant.

"Sure. Word travels fast in a burrow. And Judy and I keep in touch. We're only a year apart, after all."

"A year older?"

"Younger, actually. I married the high school sweetheart, had some kids. You know, typical bunny stuff."

"Oh, uh, congrats."

She laughed. "Thanks. I guess some bunnies have to live up to the stereotypes, right?"

Nick laughed as well. "Trust me, I've spent my fair share of time living up to stereotypes myself."

"And now you're a fox cop who builds block towers with baby bunnies." She smiled, genuinely amused at her own observation.

"Your sister would never let me hear the end of this."

"I'm sure she'd think it's adorable." She glanced at her phone. "Oh! It's time for dinner. Let's go, fellas."

The boys left their tower and joined her.

The dining room was only just off the hub. Nick decided that it looked like a cafeteria doing its best to impersonate a family dining room. The furniture was rustic and family photos decorated the walls, but the size of the room and rows of tables reminded Nick of the ZPD academy's mess hall. A dozen bunnies had already started chowing down at one of the tables. Nick shuffled into line in front of Cindy and Eli. The young bunny in front of him gawked up at him openly.

"Hi," said Nick, giving the bunny a small smile and wave. He jumped when Judy suddenly grabbed him by the arm and yanked him out of line.

"Come on! We're not eating here," she said, still in high spirits. She glanced behind him, but didn't stop tugging him onward. "Oh good, you met Cindy!"

"Oh, Judy!" exclaimed her sister. "He's good with kids!"

"I'm what?" said Nick, turning his head back as Judy dragged him away.

"It was nice meeting you!" she called after them.

He let her lead him, taking care to avoid bumping the smaller mammals that populated the dining hall. They eventually made their way to a table mobbed by her siblings and loaded with brown paper bags and bottles of water.

"Ah, there's a to go line," said Nick, an amused smile creeping onto his face.

"Yeah, getting everyone in one place at one time for a meal on the weekend would be a nightmare. Anyway, mind grabbing us a bite?"

"It would be my pleasure." He reached over the heads of the rabbits pressing around the table and snatched up a pair of bags. He tossed them to Judy and grabbed two bottles.

"You know, I could get used to feeling tall." Nick flipped her a bottle just as she lobbed his bag back at him. "So, where to?"

"Follow me." She took off through the growing crowd of hungry rabbits.

"Carrots! Hold up!" He waded through the throng, waist deep in bunny ears. He spotted her waiting by the door. "You gotta stop doing that."

"You could try keeping up," she shot back over her shoulder as she continued on. She was enjoying this far too much. Nick rolled his eyes and followed, smiling in spite of himself. Several other bunnies with brown bags broke away from the pack and took off in the same direction. As best he could tell, the group was heading toward the back of the burrow.

After a bit of walking, he found Judy waiting for him at a pair of wooden double doors. The fresh-looking white paint didn't hide the fact that hundreds of bunnies had been using it regularly over the years. The curtains around the doors' windows were drawn back. Beyond the porch filled with rocking chairs stretched a spacious back yard peppered with white clover flowers. At its center stood an oak tree that towered over the bunnies already relaxing in its shade. A tire swing hung from a sturdy branch, and a pair of brothers were busy pushing it to see just how high they could get their smaller sibling to go.

"Micah! George! Not so high!" called Judy, waving to get their attention. They groaned, just then noticing Judy.

"Officer Hopps, first district Fun Police," said Nick, raising his bag in salute as he walked up alongside her.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But if mom and dad come back to a broken arm, that's on me." She watched her brothers try to slow the swing. One grabbed the old tire and was dragged several feet for his efforts. "I used to be able to get that thing twice as high."

"I'm sure."

"Well, it seemed like it at the time."

They sat in the shade of the great tree and unpacked their dinners. Nick started in on his sandwich. Judy was ambushed by a chatty group of her sisters, and Nick gave himself permission to tune out of their conversation for the time being. Everywhere he looked, the yard was teeming with bunnies eating, playing, and relaxing. Letting his attention wander as he ate, Nick could overhear the banter of a card game, gossip about schoolyard crushes, and a very in-depth debate about the specifics of the rules of freeze tag. A spark of green a few inches from his nose gently brought his attention back to where he was sitting. He uncrossed his eyes at it flitted away. Across the field, the first fireflies of the summer blinked on and off in the hazy setting sun.

"Enjoying the view?" Judy had scooted over to sit next to him.

"It's beautiful," said Nick, a small smile on his face. "Sure beats what I'm used to."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my childhood was a little less country paradise, a little more microwave dinners and tv. It must have been something growing up here," said Nick.

"Country paradise, huh?" she chuckled.

"Look, I know you ran off to the city for a reason, but come on. The grass is literally greener here." Judy couldn't stop her groan from turning into a laugh. "Okay, that was bad," he conceded.

"It definitely has its moments, but it's not all tire swings and sweet tea."

"Sure, I assume it's also hoedowns and tractor pulls."

She laughed. "You know what I mean. There's so much to do in the city compared to Bunnyburrow."

"Yeah, if you can afford it."

"True."

They sat and just ate for a moment. Nick was the first to speak up. "Still, growing up here must've been something."

"Yeah, it was." Nick thought he heard her sigh. "I just wish I had let myself enjoy it more."

Nick turned to her. "Getting buyer's remorse about city life?"

"No, nothing like that. Sometimes I just feel, I don't know…"

"Like you were in too much of a hurry to grow up," Nick finished.

"Yeah."

Nick watched Judy gaze over a field of noisy children at play. He put on a smile. "Hey," he said, leaning in to catch her eye. "You know, your family is alright."

"Huh?"

"Almost makes me wish I had a brother or something."

She finally looked at him and smiled back. "Right, because that's what the world needs. Another Nick Wilde running around."

"Oh, the bunny's going to lecture me on population control?"

She laughed and pegged a baby carrot at him, bouncing it off his nose.

"Foxes prefer quality over quantity, anyway," said Nick, rubbing his snout.

Judy sighed again, smiling this time. "It's getting dark."

Nick could see more and more green lights winking in the shadows of the waning sunset. He noticed a couple of bunnies unfurling a wide white sheet. Setting up a ladder, they quickly affixed it to two posts by the back porch.

"Hey, what's that about?" he said, nodding his head at the sheet.

"Oh! I guess it's movie night," said Judy. Nick noticed her ears perk up.

Sure enough, Nick spotted one bunny unspooling an extension cord and another wheeling out a cart outfitted with a projector.

"Dinner and a show," said Nick, leaning back and making himself comfortable. A white square of light appeared on the sheet as a bunny fiddled with the lens.

"We've done this outside on summer weekends for as long as I can remember," said Judy, settling in next to him.

The screen sprang to life and music began playing from speakers on the porch. "Guess some things never change," said Nick, smiling to himself as her shoulder bumped his.

By the time the credits rolled, Nick's blinks had grown slow and heavy. He yawned as he and Judy roused themselves. He stretched lazily and stood, checking his phone for the time. It wasn't even that late by his usual standards. Working in the sun must have taken its toll.

"I think I'm read to call it," he said, fighting a yawn. The rest of the audience was already filtering into the burrow.

"I guess you've earned yourself some rest," said Judy. She brushed dandelion fluff off the seat of her jeans.

Back in his room, Nick brushed his teeth and washed his face in the sink. He took a second to look at himself in the mirror, tugging at the fur under his eye. Compared to the bunnies he had spent the day with, he felt so...haggard. He sighed and splashed his face again. Toweling off, he slumped into the overstuffed chair in the corner and exhaled deeply, eyes closed. He was halfway to drifting off when a knock on the bedroom door made his ears perk straight up.

"Hey. Nick, are you awake?" said Judy, her voice muffled behind the door.

And yes, Nick was suddenly wide awake.


	4. Chapter 4

A moment passed before Nick cleared his throat and found his voice. "Yeah, I'm up."

"Are you decent?"

Oh, the door. He should get the door. He released his grip on the armrest. The claw indentations wouldn't be permanent, right?

"Nick?"

He glanced in the mirror, unmussed his fur, and reached for the knob. Breathe. Cool. It's just Carrots. Just Carrots visiting his room unexpectedly at night. He managed to put on a smirk, opened the door, and looked down at her. "Hey. Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Not tired. I didn't wake you up, did I?" Her ears laid back, and she fidgeted with one as she spoke.

"Even after everything today?"

"Okay, I'm not ready to go to sleep."

"And you want me to tell you a story, right? Alright, but just one."

She laughed and her ears perked up. "Shut up and have some tea with me."

He followed her down the dimly lit halls, listening for other sounds of burrow life. He half-expected some kid to come tearing around the corner and startle them both, but there wasn't another soul in sight. The ubiquitous footfalls and chatter of the day had vanished, and all he could hear was the dull thrumming of an air conditioning unit. "I didn't know this place could get quiet."

"Near the dorms, yeah. But someone is always up, especially on the weekends."

She led him to a living room slightly bigger than the one in which he had met Cindy. Judy busied herself preparing an electric kettle in the adjoining kitchenette, and Nick took in the room. A couple of couches and a recliner were positioned around a tv on the far wall, and a guitar leaned against a piano nearby.

"I hope mint is okay."

"Mint is perfect."

He strolled up to the guitar and plucked a string. A nervous, tinny twang betrayed the age of the dull steel wire. Judy raised an ear at the sound and glanced over as Nick hefted the guitar.

"Nick, do you play?"

He smiled at her, tucked it under his arm, and gave it a strum. A strangled chord fell out and died on the rug. "Not a bit."

His smile widened as she cracked up, her laugh high and clear as always.

"Easy, Carrots. You're gonna spill my tea."

She was still trying to stop her shoulders from shaking as she extended a mug. He joined her in the tiny kitchen. "Careful, it's hot." She positioned herself at the end of the counter and held her warm mug close to her chest. He almost replied, but let his comment go. Instead, he closed his eyes and gave the tea a sniff.

"So, how much more can you really smell?"

He cracked an eye. "How much more than a bunny?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know, I've never been a bunny." She half-rolled her eyes, but he continued. "When there's a strong scent, it's like everything else is a little quieter. But it can also be distracting, like someone talking while I'm trying to read." He took a careful sip.

"Hm." Judy gazed into her own mug.

After another sip, he leaned against the opposite counter and took a breath.

"You see your future in there or something?"

"Huh?" Judy snapped out of her trance.

"Something's on your mind, Fluff."

She sighed, heaving her shoulders but taking care to not spill her tea. "It's stupid. No, it's not stupid, but I feel dumb."

"How about this, you tell me what's on your mind, and I'll tell you after if it's dumb," he said with a crooked smile.

"Hah, deal." She finally looked up at him. "I don't know, though. That's the stupid thing. Being home has been great, it really has, but I can't shake this feeling." Nick said nothing, waiting for her to continue. After a sigh, she made her attempt. "Maybe it has something to do with what you said. You know, earlier."

His ears perked up at that. "About growing up too fast?"

"Kind of?"

Nick willed himself to see the gears turn behind her furrowed brow. "But not just that." He took her sigh as a yes.

After a second of silence, she straightened up and stretched a little. "We should take a walk."

Nick couldn't help but crack a smile at the abrupt shift. "You're avoiding the topic."

"And you're avoiding exercise. Come on, it's nice out."

"Carrots, I am currently enjoying a lovely cup of tea made for me by a very good friend of mine, and I intend to finish it. So in the meantime, you might as well tell me what's on your mind." He punctuated his statement with an unnecessarily loud sip.

Her huff was more laugh than indignation. "Fine, you win." She crossed the room, plopped down on the couch, and pulled her knees up to her chest. Nick sat on the opposite end and faced her, legs crossed and back against the armrest.

"So," he said expectantly.

"So," she repeated, eyes back on the mug. "I mean, you know the story. I wanted to be a cop and move to the city for as long as I can remember. That was everything. It's why I studied hard in school. It's why I didn't even try to date as a teenager. It was all, just, if it's not getting me closer to my goal, what's the point?" Nick nodded but said nothing. "Don't get me wrong. I had friends and all. It's not like I was trying to run away or anything." She paused. "It didn't feel like I was trying to run away."

"But now that you're back…" prompted Nick.

"Right." She dunked her teabag absentmindedly. "I mean, I told myself to expect home to change. I'm not dumb." She smiled up at him. "Contrary to popular belief." That got a chuckle from Nick.

"And has it? Changed, that is."

"Sure. Mostly small stuff, but that's not it either. You asked me if I inspired Olivia to run off to the city. That wasn't the first time someone's mentioned that, you know. And I know it should make me feel proud. She's following her dreams, right? But you know what I feel?" She took a small sip from her mug. "Worried."

Nick raised his eyebrows at that. "For your sister? Carrots, you left home to become a cop. She's going to have her nose buried in books in one of the safest parts of the city."

Judy sighed. "At first I thought that was it some sort of protective big sister thing, but it's not. So, okay. Let's say I'm a role model now. Let's say my brothers and sisters are gonna start following in my footsteps. It's one thing if one bunny runs off to the big city. But what if I'm changing things here? What if the burrow's changing and it's because of me?"

Nick let the question hang in the air a moment. "Carrots," he finally said. "Remember how I said you don't give yourself enough credit?" She nodded, her eyes on the cushion between them. "Think maybe this time you're giving yourself a little too much credit? Somehow I doubt that the Hopps way of life is going to die out just because a couple rabbits out of a few hundred move to the city."

"I told you it was dumb."

"It's not dumb. Sure, the burrow's going to change. But guess what, Fluff? It's going to change one way or another no matter what you do. You can't ruin everything any more than you can fix everything. You know that better than most."

She gave him a wan smile. "You sound like Chief Bogo."

He smiled right back. "His natural charm must be rubbing off on me." That managed to tug the corners of her mouth up a little further. "But anyway, Carrots, have you considered that this kind of change might be a good thing? For your family, I mean. I know your parents weren't thrilled when you left, but they didn't exactly try to stop you, right? In the end, they were okay with you making your own way."

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that the pressure to stay here forever has eased up. I guess…" She paused to collect her thoughts. "I guess I feel like everyone is looking at me like some big success story, and I'm worried that they're getting the wrong idea."

"The wrong idea about what?"

She tugged one of her ears in frustration. "I don't know. Do they think I have everything all figured out? Everyone's looking at me like, 'Hey, there's that bunny that left, and she's doing great.' Do they know how lucky I got? What if we hadn't solved the Nighthowler case? What if I hadn't met you?"

Nick felt his face grow warm, but she continued before he could reply.

"And even if it all works out, do they know what you give up when you leave?"

"What do you give up when you leave?" asked Nick softly.

She fixed her big violet eyes on his. "Nick, do you know how many family weddings I've missed since moving to Zootopia? How many new nieces and nephews I still haven't met?" She didn't wait for him to respond. "When you leave the burrow, you might just not miss your brother's wedding and your sister's kids." Her gaze drifted away. "You might miss your own."

For a moment, they sat in silence. Judy's eyes settled on some dark corner of the room. Nick looked at her, then at his hands, then glanced back up.

"So, is that what this is about?"

She shut her eyes, stretched, and hopped off the couch. "Let's get some air."

"Carrots, you know-" he started, but she cut him off.

"Nick, I promise, I'm not ducking this conversation." She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet, smiling at him with tired eyes. "Just...time out."

Nick smiled back. "Okay, time out."

They dropped their mugs off in the sink, then took off down the hall wordlessly, winding their way through the near-silent tunnels. They stole out of the burrow, and Nick felt immediately rejuvenated by the cool breeze. The early summer night was just the right temperature, and between the waxing moon and Nick's night vision they had no trouble making their way. Passing laundry lines and several neatly planted rows of carrots, the pair started up the low but steady incline of a hill. Upon reaching the top, Judy sat down facing the opposite direction of the burrow. Nick glanced back at the path they had just taken. The hill was just tall enough to provide a vantage point over most of the Hopps property. He couldn't tell exactly how many windows faced out from this side of the burrow, but a few illuminated panes told him that they weren't the only ones having a late night.

"You know, I used to come up here all the time when I was still in school," she said, still looking off in the distance. Nick turned to her, and she tilted her head back to catch his eye. "Come on, sit." She patted the grass beside her, and he obliged. She pointed straight ahead. "It's a straight shot from here to Zootopia. I used to come up here and imagine what my life would be like there."

"So, how has the reality stacked up?"

She chuckled to herself. "Take a guess."

He pretended to mull it over. "Mmm, let's see. More quality time with a fox than you thought?"

"A bit more, yeah. I'm not sure if 'quality' is the right word, though." She yelped in surprise as Nick's gentle shove to her shoulder almost tipped her over sideways. The ruckus eventually faded to a pair of quiet smiles, and for a brief moment, they simply sat looking out over the countryside.

"So, still time out?" tried Nick tentatively.

She sighed but still wore that small smile. "No, time in."

She didn't start. Nick took a second to gather his thoughts, then decided to dive in. "Look, Carrots. We don't have to keep dwelling on this if you don't want to. And yeah, I'm an only child and I grew up in the city, so I'm not gonna act like I get it all one hundred percent. Just…" He rubbed his furrowed brow. "Okay. Do you know what happened when I left home?"

"Hm?"

"All of those things that you're worried about? They happened."

She looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"The beginning and end of my mom's second marriage. A steady paycheck. Real friends who get married and settle down." He smirked to himself. "Anything past a third date. Those are all things I missed out on. Things I thought I gave up when I left home with twenty bucks and absolutely no plan. So yeah, I won't tell you it can't happen. For a long time, almost ten years, that was it. Door shut. But you know what happened next?" He smiled at her warmly. "I guess you know most of it, but so far, I got the paycheck, a fancy new apartment, and one of those real friends. And all that's your fault, you know."

She gave him a small smile. "And the dates?"

"Hah, still working on that." He picked at a blade of grass absentmindedly. "Guess I'm still working on the mom thing too."

"Calling her would be a nice start," said Judy.

Nick picked up on her hesitance. "Yeah, I know." Another lull. Nick plucked a lonely white dandelion from the grass and gave it a flick. He watched its fluff explode into a cloud and drift down the hill, aware of her eyes on him all the while.

She gave a frustrated huff and rubbed her brow. "Ugh, I'm sorry."

His ears pricked up at that. He turned to face her, head cocked. "What?"

"Here I am, unloading all this on you and...it's not my place to tell you what you should do about your mom, is all."

Nick oversold a reassuring smile. "Hey, easy there. You're allowed to talk about it, okay? It's not like it's off-limits or something."

"But it does bother you, right?" It was more of a statement than a question.

He half-shrugged. "Not because of you bringing it up, though." He scanned the grass and plucked another dandelion. "I guess I've had a lot on my mind lately, too."

After a moment of waiting for him to elaborate, she reached out and nudged his shoulder. "Tag."

"Hm?"

"You're it."

"Really, Carrots, it's nothing." His eyes followed the downward slope of the hill, but her gaze never left him. He moved to flick the second dandelion, only to discover that he had accidentally crushed its white tuft of seeds in his hand.

"Okay, look. This whole visiting the burrow thing? It's been weird for me." It came out suddenly, and he was a little surprised to hear his own voice.

Judy couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't say."

"So maybe that's no surprise. Not weird in a bad way, though. Awkward sometimes, but not bad. This kind of life…" he fidgeted with his hands, searching for the words. "It's something I thought I walked out on. Maybe even something I didn't even have the chance to walk out on. Not carrot farming, the other stuff. You know what I mean?" Judy nodded, but said nothing. "And I thought I was okay with that."

His eyes drifted up toward the night sky. "But here's the weird thing. I can see it happening, maybe. The kids, the insane relatives, everything. It's almost scary how it suddenly seems so...plausible. So much has changed in the past year, so much that I couldn't have imagined before I met you. So why not, right?" He was almost laughing as he spoke. "Is that crazy?"

His smile was contagious, it seemed. "No, I guess not." She flopped back and sprawled out on the cool grass.

"So if it's not crazy for me after all this time, do you think…" He leaned back on one arm and gestured toward expectantly her with the other, looking down at her as he trailed off.

"Yeah," she said with a knowing smile, her eyes fixed straight ahead on the brilliant stars above. "Yeah, I do." For a minute, no one spoke. "Hey Nick?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me just yet. You haven't seen the bill you've run up this weekend."

"Let me guess, 'Farmwork and therapy isn't cheap, Carrots,'" she said with her arms raised to air quote.

"Don't worry, you'll get a discount."

She reached up from where she lay, grabbed the back of his shirt, and pulled him down to the grass next to her. "Shut up and enjoy the view, city boy," she said through her laughter.

"Hey!" He brushed the stray blades of grass from his shirt but settled in beside her nonetheless. Nick followed her eyes, finally taking in the countryside sky. "I've never seen so many stars before," he said after a moment.

"Yeah, it's not something you get in the city." She scooted next to him, one of her ears brushing his head. A breeze swept through the grass, and Judy shivered. Though Nick was still comfortable, the temperature had definitely dropped off throughout the night. She snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"So kids, huh?" she said, glancing up at him from her position on his shoulder.

"Who knows? Could be nice, yeah?"

"How many would you want?"

"Mm, three or four. I dunno, it's not something I've given a lot of thought, okay?"

"Three or four is good."

He caught her eye and shot her a playfully suspicious squint, but her expression was inscrutable. "I'm guessing you're thinking three or four dozen, right?"

"Ha, I don't know about that. Can you imagine what rent would be like?"

Nick nodded sagely in agreement. "And on a cop's salary, too. Three dozen frozen dinners a night would add up fast."

She lazily poked him in the ribs, making him laugh and squirm under her. "If I wasn't so comfortable right now, I'd kick your butt."

He playfully grabbed at her wrist to stop the jabbing. "Okay, okay, I'd probably deserve it. Happy? Truce?"

She giggled at his efforts and relented. "Truce." They settled back in together, Nick with his arms behind his head and Judy with her head on his shoulder, their eyes once again on the night sky. "Hey, the ZPD has a program if you ever want to get your degree. You know, in case you wanna try for detective or something."

"Yeah, I heard."

"You should think about it."

"Maybe. No, yeah, I'll think about it." A moment passed. "The Great Fox Detective, huh? You think so?"

She glanced up at him. "Why not?"

"Yeah, why not?" He smiled to himself. "I could see us doing that. You already have the costume, after all." He braced himself for another poke to the ribs, but it didn't come.

"But really, that's kinda our thing, right? Figuring things out together?" She yawned and rolled onto her side to face him, but her eyes were barely open. "Since we first met," she said sleepily. Her head drifted down to his chest.

"Right," he said, his eyes tracing made-up constellations in the night sky. "Since we first met." He closed his eyes and breathed deep, and for a moment he was only aware of the breeze, the soft grass beneath him, and the gentle weight of Judy's head and arm on his chest, rising and falling with his breath. He glanced down at her, then out across the countryside to where she had pointed earlier, out toward the city. "Hey, Judy?" The only response was her slow, steady breathing. "Figures. Okay, five more minutes." He smiled and closed his eyes again.


	5. Chapter 5

When Nick next opened his eyes, he was surprised by a faint pink glow low in the sky. He must have dozed off. He leaned his head up, careful not to wake the rabbit whose head rested on his chest. The sun wasn't yet visible, thankfully, so he surmised it must still be pretty early. Good, no rush. Nick smiled, and for a moment he simply watched Judy rise and fall with his breath, her frame silhouetted by the easy dawn light. Sleep was already creeping back in at the corners of his vision, and Nick had half a mind to let it. Then again, it probably wasn't the best idea to wait and risk getting caught sneaking back by an early riser. No need to feed into the gossip, right?

He sighed and rolled his eyes at the thought of the rumors making it back to Judy's parents. Freeing an arm, he gave her shoulder a gentle nudge.

"Hey," he whispered down to her. She stirred just enough to signal to him that she was half-awake. He nudged again. "C'mon, Fluff, it's dawn. We should head back."

She only gave a small groan and shut her eyes tighter, and Nick countered with a couple taps on her head with a finger. Without opening her eyes, she found his wrist and guided it to the base of one of her ears. Nick chuckled and scratched obligingly.

"Okay, now I know you're up. If we head back now, you can still get some sleep in a real bed. Sounds good, right?"

"Hm mm," she said, shaking her head.

"Okay, if we head back now, we won't get busted by the early breakfast crowd."

She opened her eyes, sighed, and rolled onto her back in the cool grass. "I know, I know."

"What time is it, anyway?" he yawned.

Judy fished her phone out of her pocket and held its glowing screen up toward his face, making him squint. "We still have a few hours before anyone is awake. It's the weekend, so everyone will be sleeping in anyway. We'll have most of the day free." She hopped up to her feet spryly.

Nick rubbed an eye and groaned. "Okay, you _can't_ be that awake already."

"Come on, up and at 'em."

Nick sat up, stretched his arms out in front of him, and yawned once again. Judy grabbed his hands and tried to pull him up to his feet, but to no avail.

"You gotta put your back into it," he said with a sleepy smile.

Nick rocked back as she unceremoniously dropped her hold on the fox. He finally stood and brushed off the seat of his pants.

"You sore at all?"

He glanced at her. "Hm?"

"From sleeping under the stars."

"Fluff, I can sleep anywhere." He stretched his back and winced at the loud cracking sound. "Almost anywhere." Nick took one last glance out over the rolling countryside and turned to face Judy.

"Shall we?" He gestured to the path back to the burrow with a faux-gentlemanly air.

Judy curtsied theatrically. "Let's."

By the time they reached the burrow, the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. As Judy had predicted, no one yet stirred in the normally bustling Hopps home, though that was sure to change before long.

"So, meet you back at the dining room for breakfast in a few hours?" said Nick, hands in his pockets as they reached the first of the series of winding halls that lead off toward his room.

"That's the plan. Think you can find your way back without me?"

He glanced down the dark, quiet hallway. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of the place, Carrots."

She gave him a proud smile. "Well, look at you."

He actually did look down at his shirt and finally noticed the grass stains and dirt. "Yeah, look at me." By the time he looked back up, Judy had already closed the distance for the inevitable hug. He freed his hands from his pockets just in time, and she squeezed him tight and buried her head in his chest. Nick hugged back, tentatively patting her on the back of the head. "That's right, bring it in. I tell ya, you bunnies really are just so-"

"Thanks, Nick." She glanced up at him after a second. "Really." She buried her face in him again and hugged even tighter.

Nick's eyes widened for a second. He leaned down, wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed her right back. "Of course."

She finally relinquished her grip on him. Judy cast a sideways glance at the hall that eventually lead to her room. "Well, I guess we should get that last hour of sleep."

"Yeah. Sleep tight."

"You too," she said, turning to go and shooting him one last smile.

Back in his room, Nick set an alarm on his phone, then wasted no time losing his shirt and collapsing onto the bed. Grey light peeked through the slim gap in the curtains as if the new day already wanted his attention. Fussing with the the curtains only managed to create another angle for the sunbeam. No matter how he adjusted his pillow or tried to ignore it, that tiny sliver of morning seemed determined to niggle at his heavy eyelids. With a huff, he finally tossed one of the many blankets that adorned the bed over the curtain rod.

Nick sighed like his soul was trying to escape his body and float up to the ceiling. As he exhaled, it seemed to him that he was sinking deeper and deeper into the mattress and blankets, the white plaster ceiling drifting further and further away before his eyes. And as he drifted off to sleep again, he managed one more coherent thought: This had turned out to be a really good day.

His alarm seemed to go off minutes later, but the golden ray of sunlight that slanted between the curtains suggested otherwise. The clock on his phone agreed. He had actually overslept just a bit. He rubbed his face and plodded off to the shower. Truth be told, Nick had expected to feel completely exhausted this morning, but mostly just felt grimy and groggy. Not that he would say no to a cup of coffee right now, of course.

Once he was dressed, presentable, and mostly dry, he set off down the hall once more. The closer he got to the center of the burrow, the louder the sounds of daytime life grew. Between the rambunctious youngsters excitedly chatting about their weekend plans and the bleary-eyed teens attempting to text and walk simultaneously, Nick was able to make his way without turning more than a few heads. He was probably old news by now, anyway. The latecomers eventually filed into the dining room. While it still buzzed with activity, it was wasn't quite as packed as it was the night before.

This time, Nick knew better than to follow the stream of rabbits. He didn't have to hang back for long. As expected, Judy was already waving him down. He caught her eye and waved back, and she immediately began making her way through the crowd.

"Well, look who's actually up in time for breakfast," she said, finally reaching him. She was as chipper as ever. In their time working together, Nick had grown begrudgingly accustomed to their different morning personas.

"Good morning to you, too."

"Morning. Did you sleep okay?"

He meant to answer, but a yawn decided to speak for him. Judy gave him an pitying 'I thought so' smile and pointed to a row of shiny metal carafes.

"Coffee's that way."

Nick gave her a thumbs up and shuffled toward them. She followed along, and soon enough both had steaming mugs in their hands.

"If you want something to eat..." she trailed off as Nick held up a finger to silence her. He closed his eyes and took a long pull from his mug.

"Okay, continue," he said.

"There's cereal over there." She thumbed over her shoulder at a pair of tables surrounded by bunnies. "We usually do a bit more for breakfast on the weekend, but with my folks out of town and all…"

"You're too busy keeping the place from burning down to make waffles, I know." The smell of the coffee was already dispelling what was left of Nick's morning fogginess. "Your parents must really be something," he said as they took their places in the breakfast line.

"They really are." She handed him an empty bowl from one of the stacks on the table. "I know it must seem like I complain about them a lot, but they're amazing."

"Hopps, please. I practically had to beat you with a stick to get you to complain at all last night." Nick gave himself a generous helping of corn flakes and scooted along with the line. "Now, where to?"

Judy scooped herself some cereal and reached for a bowl of sliced strawberries to top it off. "You know what? You pick."

It didn't take him long to spot an empty table. He glanced back to confirm that Judy saw him leave, then set off toward it. He was halfway there when a familiar voice caught his ear from the corner of the room. He smiled to himself and changed course, heading instead toward the table half-filled by Cindy, her children, and a relatively tall rabbit that Nick assumed was her husband.

"Mind if we join you?"

Judy's sisters' ears perked up as she noticed him.

Her face immediately lit up with the bright smile she had worn when they met. "Oh, hi! Of course, grab a seat!" She tugged her husband's sleeve excitedly, and he eventually tore his attention away from his futile efforts to stop the kids from spooning cereal into each other's laps. "Look, Arthur, it's Judy's fox." She glanced back up at the fox. "Nick, right? I told you I met him last night, remember?"

Her husband looked at her, then up at Nick. "Hm? Oh, the blocks guy, huh?"

Nick sipped his coffee. "Yeah, that's what they call me."

Arthur chuckled and stuck out his hand across the table. "Well, pleased to meet you, Nick." He broke off the handshake when he heard a cry from further down the table. "Oh, cripes. I better deal with that." In an act of war, one of the kids had overturned her bowl and spilled its contents squarely in the lap of her brother.

Judy had set her breakfast down on the table while they were shaking hands. "He's not usually this friendly in the morning," she said to her relatives as she took her seat.

Cindy laughed at Nick's exaggerated, long-suffering eyeroll. "He's perfectly charming, if you ask me. How did you two sleep?"

They answered simultaneously.

"Fine, thanks," said Nick, spoon halfway to his mouth.

"Ugh, not enough," said Judy. Nick coughed on his mouthful of cereal. His sideways glance at her was quick, but not quick enough to keep Cindy's eyebrows lowered. She gave her sister a smirk, but let it go.

"So, any special plans for today?" she asked Judy.

"We haven't really talked about it, but I have an idea or two. You know, take him out to see the sights."

Nick shot Cindy a look over his coffee. "There are sights?"

Judy answered for her. "Several, in fact. After we pick the place up a bit, you can see for

yourself. I was thinking we'd check out the trail to the lake, if that sounds fun to you."

"So, does that mean no farmwork today?"

"Not unless you're itching for it," added Cindy, her head in her hands and her eyes on the commotion unfolding at the other end of the table. She seemed to enjoy watching her husband's futile attempts to keep the embattled siblings separated while he mopped up the mess. "I should help, but he's so cute when he gets like this," she sighed fondly.

"You're terrible," Judy laughed at her sister. She grabbed a handful of napkins and hopped up to help her hapless brother-in-law.

Nick chuckled at the scene and turned his attention to aimlessly swiping through his phone while he ate. Nothing but spam in his e-mail, but that wasn't a surprise. Clawhauser had a bad habit of forwarding every discount code he got. And no new texts, of course. After all, Judy was right here, and Finnick wouldn't be up before noon on the weekend. He was about to slip it back into his pocket when something on the wall caught his eye.

In front of him stretched a wide angle photo of the entire Hopps clan. Hundreds of bunnies were gathered in front of the burrow, pressed in shoulder to shoulder on what looked like a bright summer day. He stood to get a better view. Two pairs of elderly rabbits sat in wooden chairs, and behind them stood a middle-aged couple that Nick assumed must be Judy's parents. From there, the orderly rank and file of bunnies quickly devolved into a mass of faces squeezing in where they could.

"Hello? Nick?" Judy was once again by his side. Her sister's family had cleared out, probably to get the kids washed up. He hadn't noticed them leave. "Everything okay?"

Nick unfurrowed his brow and looked at her. "Oh, yeah." He shot her a smile that probably looked reassuring. "Just had a thought."

"Well, it's about time for us to pitch in with the cleaning." She scooted her chair out, took his bowl, and stacked it on her own.

"So, the lake, huh?"

"That's the plan," said Judy, tossing her brother-in-law's pile of wet napkins into a nearby trashcan. "I mean, unless you'd rather do something else. It's a nice walk and it's supposed to be a beautiful day, so I was just thinking I'd show you somewhere I used to hang out."

"Another one of your favorite spots?"

"One of the best. It's not too far out past the hill."

"The hill from last night?"

"Yeah, the hill from last night."

"Sounds good," he said softly, glancing back down at his phone. "Hey, is it okay if I catch up in a minute? I think I need to make a call." He saw her eyebrows raise and her ears perk up, her mouth suddenly a serious line. "I'm not trying to duck chores, promise."

She chewed her bottom lip before speaking. "Okay, but no whining if you get stuck mopping. Come find me in the kitchen when you're done."

"Deal." He finished his lukewarm coffee and added his mug to the pile of dishes. Judy hefted the stack and turned toward the kitchen.

"And it's supposed to be nice out today?"

Judy paused and turned back toward him. "Gorgeous, I think."

"Gorgeous." He let the word hang in the air for a moment. "Then yeah, definitely the lake."

"Okay, definitely the lake," she said with a decisive nod.

She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but instead just exhaled and smiled up at the fox. Nick came back with a crooked smirk and a here-goes-nothing sigh. She quickly turned back to the kitchen, stopping only to snag the occasional bowl that had been left behind. Nick remained where he stood, watching her until she disappeared behind the swinging kitchen door. He glanced down at his phone, flipped it over in his hand, and looked back up at the photo.

The shot was a mess, really. For every few smiling faces, there was someone not looking at the camera, or yawning, or frozen mid-conversation. He scanned the crowd for Judy, but she was lost in the sea of rabbits. Judging by the date scrawled in the corner of the photo, it must have been taken around the time she left for the academy. Just before, probably. His gaze drifted back to center frame and the elder rabbits that occupied it. Had he seen a picture of her parents before? He must have. He'd certainly spent enough time in her apartment. Maybe he just hadn't really looked. Judy's folks looked kind. They looked proud. They looked just like he imagined they would, he decided.

Nick finally looked down at his phone and unlocked it, mentally kicking himself for having to find the number in his contacts. He remembered copying it down from his pre-cellphone era address book, just in case, but could no longer recall it off the top of his head. Without giving himself a chance to think, he hit "Call".

His heartbeat threatened to drown out the dull electronic ringing. Nick paced a few feet away from the table, then turned back. He was suddenly aware of his death grip on the phone. Breathe. Be cool. A simple phone call, then the lake. He took another step closer to the Hopps family portrait and passed his eyes over it, phone buzzing in his ear all the while. Oh, there she was. Center right, arm around one of her sisters, wearing a blue gingham shirt and a big smile. Easy to miss in the crowd, but hard not to notice her now. He heard his own name and took a deep breath.

"Hey, mom."

* * *

Thanks for reading and for all the kind comments. If you enjoyed this, you might be glad to know that I've already started writing the follow-up fic. So stay tuned!


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